


A Golden End

by tailysnaily



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Ending, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff everywhere, Gen, Ignores the last episode, friendship fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 23:24:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6133702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tailysnaily/pseuds/tailysnaily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Merlin spends his day on the 10th Anniversary of Camlann.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Golden End

**Author's Note:**

> my delusions make me happy :') sorry this is nonsense

As a rule, Merlin tried to think about Camlann as little as possible. The thought of that battle, of the blood, the tears, and the suffering that soaked into that ground. Merlin had seen many battles in his life, but that one brought a special ache to his chest. Morgana and Mordred, the poor souls – they had only been victims of their own destinies, really. Nothing could have prevented their deaths, Merlin realized that now. But Arthur –  
“HEAAHHHHHH!”  


Merlin was distracted from breaking his own don’t-think-about-Camlann rule by the high pitched battle cries sounding from the end of the corridor. Shaken from his melancholy thoughts and aware of whom those voices belonged to, Merlin hurried to the source of the clamor. There, just around the corner, Merlin turned to see two small idiots ready to attack each other with wooden swords.  


The older one, a girl with dark curls pulled back from her face, raised her weapon and yelled to the imaginary battalion behind her, “FOR CAMELOT!” Merlin shook with repressed laughter, concealed by a handy little charm that made him unnoticeable.  


The younger one, a boy with the same curly hair left bouncing around his forehead, stomped his feet and quaked with pent-up energy. Pointing his own sword at his sister before him, he proudly shouted, “AND FOR DADDY!”  


Wagging a finger from her free hand at the boy, the girl scolded, “And mummy!” Giggling, the boy hit his forehead with his palm, and said, “Yes, whoopsie, I’m sorry – AND FOR MUMMY!”  


Unable to contain his laughter any longer, Merlin burst out with quite an unattractive barking, bent over double and wiping tears from his lashes. Indignant, the two children turned about in circles frantically, looking for the perpetrator. Suddenly, the girl puts her hands of her hips and squints around, calling, “I know that’s you Uncle Merlin. You can’t fool us,” before whispering to her brother, “Squint! And look real carefully!”  


“Oh!” her brother puffs, “He’s using that spell. THAT’S NO FAIR UNCLE MERLIN, THAT’S CHEATING!”  


Moving silently behind the children, Merlin says, “It’s only cheating when we’re playing hide and go seek, you goose.”  


They really must have looked strange, spinning around and squinting, trying to force their eyes to focus on their uncle. Merlin didn’t want anyone passing through the hallway to mistake his precious idiots for foolish idiots, and so released the charm that made their eyes slide past him. Cheering with victory and waving their toy swords, the children ran at their uncle, who greeted them with open arms.  


“Did you see, Uncle Merlin? We’re training so we can be soldiers for daddy soon!” the boy, Llacheu, enthused. His sister, Adeldreda, let go of her uncle to whack her brother with the sword. Ignoring his continuous ow, ow, ow’s, she again scolded, “And mummy!”  
\-----  


Later that day, King Arthur and Queen Guinevere would be sitting at the head of long table covered with a feast, their two children sitting lovely and youthful beside their mother (until they got tired – then they would climb up on their parents’ laps). From his nearby spot at the king’s right side, Merlin cast a light show on the ceiling, causing the prince and princess to giggle quietly before they finally fell asleep, tired after a day of battle. Rolling his eyes at the man beside him, Arthur muttered around his daughter's hair, “Yes, very serious and sophisticated magic is what you're capable of, Merlin.”  


Gwen shushed him, and smiled understandingly at her friend before she turned back to the noblewoman speaking of her daughter’s magical training.  


Arthur turned to Merlin again and quietly said, “Ten years, Merlin.” Merlin smiled back at him, “Ten years,” he agreed.  


They both looked around at the festivities surrounding them, and listened to the joy coming through the windows from peasants in the streets. They had built and protected this, together and with much help. Gwen, Gwaine, Percival, Gaius, Leon. They were all here, all alive and well, living wonderful lives in golden Camelot. 

Ten years since Arthur’s life had been spared at Camlann, and Merlin’s life could not be brighter.


End file.
